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State and local tax competition in a spatial model with sales taxes and residential property taxes

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  • Braid, Ralph M.

Abstract

This paper presents a theoretical model with a uniformly populated line that is divided into local jurisdictions (and/or states). If one level of government imposes sales and residential property taxes, and if the spatial extent of each taxing jurisdiction is positive and finite, then (in Nash equilibrium) the sales tax rate is less than residential property tax rate, housing consumption is suboptimal, and the public good is underprovided in each jurisdiction. If a very large state (or country) is divided into local jurisdictions, and if both levels of government choose tax rates endogenously, then under some assumptions there is an efficient outcome.

Suggested Citation

  • Braid, Ralph M., 2013. "State and local tax competition in a spatial model with sales taxes and residential property taxes," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 57-67.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:juecon:v:75:y:2013:i:c:p:57-67
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jue.2012.11.003
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    Cited by:

    1. Agrawal, David R., 2016. "Local fiscal competition: An application to sales taxation with multiple federations," Journal of Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 91(C), pages 122-138.
    2. Agrawal, David R. & Trandel, Gregory A., 2019. "Dynamics of policy adoption with state dependence," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    3. David R. Agrawal & David E. Wildasin, 2019. "Sales Taxation, Spatial Agglomeration, and the Internet," CESifo Working Paper Series 7742, CESifo.
    4. David R. Agrawal, 2023. "Hidden Havens: State and Local Governments as Tax Havens?," CESifo Working Paper Series 10573, CESifo.
    5. Julián Ramajo & Alejandro Ricci-Risquete & Lourdes Jerez & Geoffrey J. D. Hewings, 2020. "Impacts of Neighbors on Local Tax Rates: A Space–Time Dynamic Panel Data Analysis," International Regional Science Review, , vol. 43(1-2), pages 105-127, January.
    6. Drucker, Joshua & Funderburg, Richard & Merriman, David & Weber, Rachel, 2020. "Do local governments use business tax incentives to compensate for high business property taxes?," Regional Science and Urban Economics, Elsevier, vol. 81(C).
    7. Kaushal Kishore, 2016. "Tax Competition, Policy Competition and the Strategic Use of Policy Restrictions on Foreign Direct Investments," Working Papers 201684, University of Pretoria, Department of Economics.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    Tax competition; Horizontal taxation externality; Vertical taxation externality; Sales tax; Property tax;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • H71 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - State and Local Taxation, Subsidies, and Revenue
    • H73 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Interjurisdictional Differentials and Their Effects
    • H77 - Public Economics - - State and Local Government; Intergovernmental Relations - - - Intergovernmental Relations; Federalism

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